You don't have to sacrifice style when going small

ACCORDING to research published last week by Cabe – the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, if you please – almost half the people who live in new-build housing in and around London say reckon they don’t have enough space in their homes. The fact is, London life can all too often feel like trying to survive in a space with the dimensions of a broom cupboard, and that antique, Imperial-size bed inherited from your grandparents won’t be much use as you move into your bijou urban studio pad.

Luckily there are designers who see restricted space as an exciting challenge. Wall-beds and sofa-beds have existed for aeons, but these days you can get multi-functional units that have more in common with Transformers than the naff contraptions of old, while ingenious modular storage pieces can be fit around any space while retaining all the colour and style necessary for chic modern living.